The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-04-21
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

Practical Duties Taught bH Study OF the Inter.
national Sunday school Lesson Appointed for
May I. Ex.. 1914.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
| study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
Indicated above.l
SUBJECT: THE IsRAELITEs' CONDITION IN
EGYPT AFTER JosEPH's DEATH.
As assigned, Jacob and family took possession
of Goshen. (Geu., 47:4, ii, 27.) Through the
five years of dearth which followed their re-
moval from Canaan, they lacked nothing. The
famine became very severe, forcing Egyptian
people to part with cattle, and money, and lands,
and with liberty. They actually sold them
selves for food. (Gen.. AZ: 19.)
Five Summers passed without harvests. Then
followed seed-time, with ordinary productive
ness.
Twelve years afterward, or II years from the
time of his arrival in Egypt, (Gen., E:29D
| Jacob sickened and was not far from death.
AS soon as Joseph heard Of this, he took his
two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and went to
| the bedside of his dying father. (Gen., 46: IL
Jacobs age at death was lat years. (Gen.,
47:25) Joseph at that time was SO years old.
He had been Governor 26 years. He mourned
deeply the deeease of his father, and buried
him with royal dignity. As requested by his
father, the body was deposited in the cave Of
Machpelah, at Hebron. (Gen., 40 %, 30l
| Though his brothers were apprehensive Jo-
seph's feelings toward them might change, now
| that their father was dead, yet there was no
occasion for fear, for throughout his life he was
kind to them. At length Joseph himself died,
aged li0 years. (Gen., 80: :22.) Jacob had
prophesied the lsraelites would again return
to Canaan, and Joseph, in full faith Of the Exo-
dus, requested that his bones be not left behind
in Egypt, but carried to Canaan. In time all
the 20 named as accompanying Jacob into
Egypt died. tSee the names of the 20, Gen.,
| 46: S-27)
Verse covers the entire time the Israelites
were in Egypt. They were fruitful" (V.7)
This is metaphor from the tree. Like vigorous
trees they bore plentifully. There was probably
n special prOvidential prolifcness. (Gen.,
%: 17) They increased" (V. ~ This
in the original is a metaphor from fsh-breed-
ing. Fishes are the most prolific of all beings.
Hence "abundantly" is added as a part of the
translation of the one Hebrew word. Leuwen-
hook counted in a cod 9,35i,OO0 eggs. Crosby
puts the number of Israeltes at the time of the
Exodus as 2, ,OOO. 900. Many hold the 20 who went
into Egypt (Gen., 46 :27) had become at least
100000 when they left the land of bondage.
Joseph was born in the year 2259 A. NJ. He
died aged llO, (Gen., so: 26,) and hence in the
year 1869 A. NJ. He was 80 years old when
Jacob went to Egypt. He therefore lived IL
years afterward. a source OF comfort, support and
strength to the Israelites.
The Covenant was made with Abraham in
, the year 2OS3 A. NJ. Then Gal, 81 II, says the
law was enacted 430 years after said Covenant,
and hence in the year 2513 A. NJ. At this time
Moses was so years old, (Acts, z: %, 30) and
hence was born 2433 A. NJ. Since the Exodus took
place in the year 25l3 A. NJ. and Joseph died
in the year 1863 A. NJ, we find the Israelites
continued in Egypt 14i years after the death
of Joseph. Moses was born 2i33 A. NJ, and
Joseph died 1869 A. NJ. The interval then be-
tween Joseph's death and Moses's birth was Ga
years. The Iraelites entered Egypt in the year
2295 A. NJ. Add IL years and 64 and so, and
we have 25l3 A. NJ. the year Of the Exodus
Some time must have elapsed from the death
Of Joseph to allow such a slight of his memory
on the part of the King to become at all popu-
/ lar among the masses of the people. We find
the interval between Joseph's death and Moses's
birth to have been Ga years. Suppose the
trouble to have originated midway, 81 years
after Joseph's death. He died in the year
1869 A. NJ. Add 81 years and we have as about
the probable date of our present lesson the yeaI
2401 A. NJ, or 1908 B. G..
We see Jacob went into Egypt midway be-
tween the Call Of Abraham and the Exodus, OF
midway of the 40 years. Abraham's Call wa:
in the year 2OS3 A. NJ. Add 215 and we have
229S A. NJ, the year in which Jacob entered
Egypt. Add 2l5 years and we have 2513 A. NJ.
the year of the Exodus.
!, 1t is believed that by "new King" (V. g.
we are to understand not only asuccessor to the
Pharaoh who ruled Egypt in JOseph's time, bu
!. also King of a new dynasty. This may &C
count for the hasty forgetfulness as to Joseph
}. We do not know for certain who either Kinl
was discussion of the subject is too prolil
for these notes. What are known as the Shep
herd Kings ruled Northern Egypt for q time
J, and il is probable one of this dynasty was il
power in the time of Joseph. The Kings o
this dynasty were known as the Hyksos. A
= dynasty of Southern Egypt expelled the Shep
herd Kings 1t is thought this occurred som,
tirely new dynasty, dynasty for years un
: friendly to the dynasty under which JOSEPH
ilourished, would not, of course, be friendly Il
Joseph.
n The Israeites took possession of Goshen,
> district of Lower Egypt on the east side of tn
Pelusac arm of the Nile It was not larg
J. region, and as the Israelites increased in mum
bers they would extend the limits of thei
homes. Goshen being full, they would fint
residences outside, and so among the Egyptians
i Hence, in 3 I'D we find Israeites not living b.
themselves and, therefore, in Goshen, bu
5. mingling in homes among the Egyptians. w
remember, the Israelites were a clannish peO
E, pie, utterly averse TO naturaliZing themselve
with foreigners, and hence constituting, wher
ever they lived sort of government within
government. Such class of persons would nat
urally stir up jealous ruler and make him sus
l. picious. This was the case with the new king
r He resolved to reduce the power of the Israel
lies. lie deNiStu Two netnOuSs L.. 100 mar
Q, work. u 10 H. and, ,, the destruction of NAL
infants. Us 22l
TO secure the allotted work the new Kin
appointed bodies Of taskmasters, whose busines
was to force the lsTaelites TO labor On the wall
OF tomb in Thebes there is a representation {
q, the " Bondage" Rosselini, an Italian scholar
says il is \ picture representing the Hebrew
as they were engaged III making brick" FOu
persons of different size, color and physiOgnOm
than the labOTers stand or sit, rod in hant
ready TO strike any Hebrew who relaxes hi
energy or inclines To rebel. Thus the Israe
j. ties tOiled under the eye and lash of Ovcrseer
who gave them certain jobs to accomplish i
specified times. Paintings and M .>ments j
Egypt and specially in Thebes, bear witness
O. tho labOrs of the Israelite5 under taskmastei
with whips in hand.
Some of their works are specified The
built the cities of PithOn and Raamses, used
places for gathering and storing grain etc w
On get hints as to the nature OF their work reaC
ing verse II. Their "liyes were made bite
n, with hard bondage. in mortar, and in brcl
and in all manner of service in the field" I'll
n. word "rigor" (E. IA is from a Hebrew TO,
which means TO crush, 10 brake down and
employed, {. O., when speaking of crackin
le nuts. They forced To bear burdens
". H. consisting of taxes, and Of actu
{. physical struggles Ill carrying bricks and mo
tar, and i'll farm toll. Kitto, speaking of ii
r. representation in the Theban tomb, says:
this picture some laborers transport the clay